


A Word For Almost Home

by FelicityGS



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, BFFs, fuck buddies, some porn too, woops forgot about that aahahaha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-15 09:31:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2224071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelicityGS/pseuds/FelicityGS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki was always Pepper's favourite of Tony's one night stands.</p><p>"Coffee?" Loki rasped. He was in the kitchen, hunched against the counter and eyes closed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pepper

**Author's Note:**

> A rather short AU where Loki is human and a reporter, besties with Pepper, and Tony's fuckbuddy.
> 
> I have no idea if I'll ever manage to come back to it, so for now just these two short stories that I wrote in the 'verse before I moved on.
> 
> Title from [this poem](http://fel-as-in-tumbld.tumblr.com/post/84121638603/i-want-a-word-for-the-almost-home-that-point), which should give you a sort of feel for what Loki's chapter (the last chapter) would have been like.

Loki was always Pepper's favourite of Tony's one night stands.

"Coffee?" Loki rasped. He was in the kitchen, hunched against the counter and eyes closed.

"With cream," Pepper said, setting her files and tablet on the counter. She started to sort through the paperwork--signatures, reviews, meeting schedules. The sounds of rustling paper and drip of the coffee machine were the only noises until the coffee finished. Loki poured them out cups and prodded a mug towards Pepper.

"Thank you," she said. 

Loki grunted. 

"How are things with the blond?" Pepper asked after a few more moments, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Which blond?"

"The one with the dogs."

"Oh,  _him_." Loki snorted. "Still big and overenthusiastic and Scandinavian. He doesn't take a hint very well."

"Why don't you just ask him?" Pepper glanced over at Loki. "Did you start a new diet?"

"No, it's still cigarettes and coffee. Speaking of, I'm out of cigarettes." He set his now empty mug on the counter and started for door. Pepper coughed politely, pointedly giving him a once over when he looked over his shoulder at her.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Clothes. Still on Tony's floor."

Loki glanced down. Pepper smiled watching the realization he was still nude dawn on his face.

"Wake him up for me, will you?" Pepper added as Loki headed for the bedroom.

***

Pepper and Loki went to the same university and shared all their accounting classes. Study sessions that usually became party sessions sealed the deal. They applied for Stark Industries together, got in together, and worked together. Pepper made Loki more human; Loki sharpened Pepper's claws.

Pepper was never really sure why Loki was working at SI. She could tell he hated the job, but he was still  _Loki_ , so other than drop a hint now and then maybe he should consider leaving, she didn't ask.  _  
_

Then she got promoted for pointing out an accounting error that he helped her triple check. 

" _Breathe_ ," he said, grinning ear to ear and shoving some overly foamy beer at her. "This is what you want, you're practically running an  _empire_ , Stark can't do anything without his PA."

"Oh god."

"Drink," Loki added cheerfully. "Hey! Let's do shots. This is a shots sort of night, don't you think?" He rummaged around his coat, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered her one. 

"No." Pepper took a few pulls off her beer--it was good, but then Loki didn't believe in less than the best for his alcohol. Loki shrugged, stuck a cigarette in his mouth, then flagged a waitress down to bring them a long list of shots Pepper was probably going to regret in the morning. "Are you sure this place is up to code?"

"Hell no, but they've got the best drinks in walking distance of your apartment." He grinned at her, green eyes catching the light. "Live a little."

Pepper woke up with the first of many headaches--though most wouldn't be because of  _her_ hangovers. Loki was in type three of his morning moods; Pepper left him on the floor while she went to stand under the shower for a while.

Work was a thing that still needed to happen. Loki hadn't moved, which wasn't unexpected. He didn't actually start to stir until Pepper started some coffee.

"We need to get to the office," she said. 

Loki mumbled.

"Come on. This was your idea."

Loki rolled over onto his back, eyes still squeezed shut.

"I quit last night. I think. I remember calling someone to quit. It was probably Alan."

"You did  _what?!_ "

Loki winced and opened one bloodshot eye to stare at her.

"I  _quit_. Why should I stay if you aren't there?"

"But--what are you going to  _do_? You can't just-- No." Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, we can fix this. This is fixable. You have some money set aside, right?"

"I blew rent last night. Well, most of it. I had to save  _some_ for cigarettes." He finally sat up, rubbing his face. " _Don't worry_ , I've got a whole month to come up with the money."

"You're supposed to be good with numbers!"

"I was an accountant, not risk management," Loki said wryly. He smirked at her, then blinked. "Do I smell coffee?"

***

As it would turn out, Loki was actually scarily good at freelance journalism with a pet focus on the military. Pepper turned him into the go-to guy for as many exclusive articles as she could--after all, Loki couldn't always drop his current projects to write about SI.

"I left for a reason," he would tell her nearly every time they sat down together. 

Pepper would just smile and slide him her pre-typed notes on what she wanted to cover.

***

It was just a matter of time before Tony met Loki at an event. Or, looking back, that Loki met Tony.

"Is he bi?" Loki asked Pepper, eyes following Tony and aggressively smoking a cigarette on the balcony.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that."

"Then I shouldn't fuck him?"

"Loki."

"He  _is_ fuckable?" Loki asked as he stubbed his cigarette out.

Pepper rolled her eyes. She should have told Loki no, if only to protect Tony, but the idea of finding a one night stand who  _wasn't_ intolerable--and to see if Loki would, in fact, eat Tony alive like he did most of  _his_ one night stands--was a little too tempting.

"He  _is_ bi. If that's what you're hoping for."

Loki's eyes lit up.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go rescue him from the  _Times_. Really, how do you suffer his lack of taste?"

"You do that," Pepper said as Loki went back into the gala.

***

Tony looked haunted and like a hurricane had hit the next morning. Loki just looked smug. Pepper didn't say anything, just smiled and showed Loki the door, sliding a pack of cigarettes into his jacket pocket along the way.

***

Pepper always knew when Loki had been over, even when she didn't happen to see him the morning after. Tony always would get his smirk like he'd gotten away with something, and Pepper would generally have an email by noon of the same day running what Tony wanted Loki to print by her first.

Pepper didn't let Tony know that she knew; it was so much easier to let him think he was getting away with something. 

***

Loki calls her a few hours after Tony's demonstration is attacked, when the first reports are still trickling in, when the sweeps of the area shouldn't be done. His voice is static and distant and tinny over the phone.

"It's not news yet, but I'm here and--Pepper, they think he's probably dead."

Pepper doesn't ask  _who_ , just takes a breath and closes her eyes.

"Is there a body?" Pepper asks.

"No. Few missiles, parts. The people who would know are reasonably certain he's dead. I thought you should know."

"Right." She swallows. "Thank you. For finding out and letting me know before it breaks. I know you're busy."

"Pepper, you know I always-- Dammit, I have to go. Email, maybe I'll see it next time we're at a base."

"Don't worry. Be safe. I can't lose you, too."

She can almost hear Loki's smile, picture it small and crooked on his face, eyes sympathetic and gentle.

"I'm planning on outliving you so your funeral is appropriately expensive. Two months, gotta go, take care."

Click.

***

What Loki didn't say--what Pepper knows--is why Loki broke protocol to call her. 

About a year ago, Loki was working on a story and he was taken hostage. Two weeks and three days before she had proof he wasn't dead or worse, before he was back on US soil and in her reach again. She'd taken the time off work--it's not like she didn't have it--to go see him when the hospital finally okayed visitors.

"Tell me you brought cigarettes," he said as soon as she stepped through the door. He was haggard, dark circles under his eyes and rail thin, hair lank and all its shine gone. 

( _Malnourished, underweight, dehydrated, bruising located along shoulder and back--_ on and on; Pepper almost wished she didn't know.)

"You haven't had them for over two weeks," Pepper said as she sat down on the bed and took one of his hands in hers. "You could quit."

Loki started to laugh.

"Do you really think it's the  _cigarettes_ that are going to kill me?" 

"Probably." Pepper brushed his hair out of his face, resting her palm against his cheek for a few moments. It wasn't often they touched like this--not often he would tolerate it, not often she felt the need for it. "You have to outlive me, remember?" 

Loki smiled, genuine and small, eyes a little sad.

"Of course," he said. "No one else will get your funeral right."

"Exactly." Pepper pulled away, reached into her purse and pulled out the menthols she'd brought for him. He wouldn't be caught dead smoking them in public, but they were his cigarettes for home, for when he wanted to relax. There likely wouldn't be much else he'd want right now.

It's why, a year later, she doesn't give up on Tony.

***

Tony comes back. 

Then he announces that Stark Industries will be ceasing its weapon manufacture. 

Pepper  _knows_ that something happened, but her first thought is damage control. Her second thought is checking her calender--Loki's flight back to the US arrived five hours ago. 

Once she can leave--not safely, what is Tony  _thinking_ \--she stops by a gas station and picks up two packs of menthols and a new lighter, then goes straight to Loki's. He's clearly home--his duffle is still laying in the hallway, likely exactly where he dropped it when he first got back.

"Tony is still alive, why are you here?" Loki asks when he opens the door. He has dark circles under his eyes, a tan line courtesy of wearing military gear for the past few months, and his hair is yanked back in a rather ragged looking pony tail. He looks torn between slamming the door in her face and waiting to hear her answer.

Pepper just offers him the menthols and lighter.

"Oh. Well fuck." Loki moves away from the door so she can come in. 

"Thanks," Pepper says.

"I am giving up my hair appointment for you," Loki says, but there's none of his usual venom in it. "Let me get the liquor."

Once they're settled with the whiskey, Loki lights a cigarette and says, "Talk."

"Tony's closed weapons manufacture down."

Loki blinks. He takes a long drag of his cigarette, contemplates the tip for a moment, then takes another drag. Pepper waits, clutching her glass in her hand.

"Yeah, okay. I could see that."

"You could  _see that_?" Pepper says, a little sharp. "Stark Industries  _is_ its weapon manufacture. This could ruin the company!"

Loki finishes one cigarette and stars another in a smooth motion before he speaks again.

"There's a lot of time to think and not much else when you've been taken hostage." Loki shrugs. "SI tech has been a major force in that area for quite some time--most of it his design. I wouldn't be surprised if some of what was used against his envoy was his handiwork. I sure as hell saw some being used by the other side while I was there." 

Pepper takes a drink. Loki hasn't touched his yet, but he likely only has it for solidarity's sake.

"So what are we going to do about you?" Loki asks after a few moments. At the look Pepper gives him, his eyebrows go up. "You aren't seriously thinking of staying with the company, are you? I thought you were meant to be the sane one between us."

"I can't leave him after this." Pepper closes her mouth, pressing her lips together even it's true--that this is about Tony more than it is the company. "Not right now."

Loki just shakes his head, reaching for another cigarette.

"Well then, let's start figuring out what to do about the fact your boss just painted a target on himself."

"Thanks." Pepper smiles. "I'll get your hair taken care of."

"You better," Loki mutters, but he smiles as he does.

***

Maybe, Pepper thinks, this is going to work out.


	2. Tony

Loki really hasn't been a one night stand in  _years._ He's more of a... fuck buddy, really.

Not that Tony would just call him up for sex or whatever. Or to talk to him. The sex was just, well, fucking phenomenal. Loki knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it, and loved to mouth off too. Basically everything Tony could want out of casual sex.

It's just, at some point, they  _did_ start talking.

So maybe Tony sometimes blabbed things to Loki he probably shouldn't, which Loki gleefully (Tony was pretty sure there was some glee in there) wrote up so everyone could know. The thing was-- _is_ \--that when Tony does tell Loki not to write something he...

doesn't.

Which actually kind of means a lot to Tony. Not that he's going to tell Loki that ever.

***

The major problem with this is Tony's gotten _attached_ to Loki. 

"--among the hostages are Loki Laufeyson, Private John R--"

"Woah, wait, what? Jarvis, play that back." 

Jarvis restarts the feed from the beginning, where the original broadcast had been interrupted. Next to him, Pepper's gone still; Tony watches the television intently.

"Jarvis, I want to know the second anything changes; no, I don't care if I'm asleep. Also get whoever the fuck's job it is to keep this shit from happening on the phone--I want to know what the hell went wrong."

"Of course, sir."

Tony turns to look at Pepper. She looks a little pale, hands white-knuckled on her tablet. 

"That was Loki," she says faintly. She shakes her head, looking at him and seeming to pull herself back together. It sits weird with Tony--he knows Loki is Pepper's favourite reporter, but-- "Do you want to finish reviewing these contracts?" 

Tony shakes the thought away. It's not really important. 

"No. Take an off day."

"You have a meeting at three."

"Yeah, I'm not showing up to that."

Pepper sighs, frowning and beginning to move things around on his schedule most likely. She's really too good at dealing with him.

"I'll call you if I hear anything," he offers; it's weird, he's not sure what he's doing, but Pepper's got a big heart--she probably is just upset for her favourite reporter and he's reading too much into it.

"Thanks," she says. She smiles at him before she goes. 

***

Tony doesn't visit Loki in the hospital. Mostly because that would be weird.

But he knows as soon as Loki's back on US soil, knows exactly which hospital he's at, checked the background of every doctor with anything to do with his recovery, and is paying the hospital bills. He also sends along a giant get well soon bouquet. 

That last one is probably weird. Loki's just supposed to be a fuck buddy.

***

He sees Loki at a gala roughly two weeks later. He looks neat, put together, but he also looks tired at the edges and, as much as Tony hates the idea,  _older_. Loki's suit has probably been taken in--Tony knows he lost a good deal of weight--and his hair is smooth and slicked back, trimmed short again. It's mostly his eyes, the way he's been leaned by the bar for the past thirty minutes. Loki usually roams these things, slides between people with an ear for anything that might catch his interest--or any _one_.

Not that Tony's been paying attention or anything. 

"Want to get out of here?" Tony asks, sliding up to him.

"Whyever for?" Loki doesn't even look at him, but Tony still catches the slight pause he had to take before he answered, the brace. "And flowers? You shouldn't have."

"No, really. You need to get away from this. You look exhausted."

Loki finally looks at him, eyes narrowed in consideration.

"Are you trying to suggest--"

"I've got an idea," Tony interrupts. "How about you trust me?" He grins, quirks an eyebrow. Loki frowns, just a little. "I'm not trying to say that you're weak or whatever macho bullshit you think I'm trying to say. And I'm not going to assume you're entirely bounced back either. I'm just saying, you know. Trust me. I've got an idea."

Loki sighs, shaking his head.

"Don't you always," he murmurs. "This had better be good."

"Better than here," Tony promises. "Let me call Happy."

***

It  _is_ a good idea. 

It's also different, which might be dangerous, but Tony will worry about that later, because right now Loki's nude and face down in the pillows and, unless Tony misses his bet, probably drooling a bit. Tony just keeps rubbing the oil into Loki's back, taking care around his ribs, and feels just a bit smug about the noise Loki makes when Tony finally gets the knot in his lower back to relax.

(Loki  _is_  scrawny, almost terrifyingly so. It has Tony pissed, because he knows two weeks ago it was  _worse_.)

Tony just keeps massaging Loki loose and pliant, dragging teasing fingertips lower. Loki makes a noise when Tony teases at his ass; Tony stops.

"This alright?" Tony asks immediately. Loki lifts his head from the pillow enough he can glare over his shoulder.

"I haven't been laid in over a month. If you stop I will tel-- _oh_." Loki's hands twist in the pillows by his head, his eyes closing and teeth digging into his lower lip. Tony just chuckles and keeps fingering him, starting to work him open.

"There we go," Tony murmurs when Loki ruts a little into the bed, starting to rock into the lazy pace Tony's setting with his hand. "Just relax. I've got this."

"Shut up, fuck, actually that's an idea, why don't you--" Tony pushes Loki's face into the pillow, muffling him, chuckling at Loki's indignant sputter. 

"Just be quiet and enjoy yourself for once."

"I always enjoy myself, I don't know why you think I ever have bad sex."

"Loki."

Loki sighs; Tony can picture his eyeroll and just twists his fingers until he finds Loki's prostrate to get him to  _shut up_ , because dammit, Tony has a plan. He forgot to factor in how much Loki likes to foil Tony's plans or how _bossy_ Loki gets in bed.

It works. Loki keens a little, but he doesn't start talking again, just lets Tony do his thing. Granted, Tony's thing is making Loki whine into the bed, clawing at the pillows and sheets, rubbing himself against the bed as Tony just keeps going slow and steady and, okay, a little torturous. 

Tony gets that first orgasm out of Loki with just his hand, takes his time because they have all night. Loki's nearly crying when he orgasms, the tension in him snapping as soon as he's spilled, breath coming in soft pants. Tony rubs his free hand against Loki's spine, hushing him gently as he shivers and gasps.

"It's okay," Tony tells him. "It's alright. Just tell me if it's too much."

That second orgasm is just as slow and sweet--for both of them this time. Loki falls asleep not too long after that, breath slow and even, half-curled around Tony. Tony manages to get from underneath him and clean them both up before he props himself up, just watching Loki sleep for a while.

Which, definitely not really a fuck buddy sort of night. Tony spends a little time sorting it out. It's pretty clear Loki needed this, nothing between them has really changed, and also there was sex.

Tony's pretty okay with it. That decided, he settles down, grabs his tablet off the bedstand, and sets to work with one hand combing through Loki's hair.

***

He's right. It doesn't really change anything between them, other than a brusque 'thank you' the morning after. Maybe there's a touch more emphasis on buddy than fuck, but, hey. Shit happens.


End file.
